Sampling & approval

What to approve on a cosmetic bag sample: seven checks in order

25 Oct 2026

Answer first: the approved sample is the only reference bulk is measured against, and it has to be checked in a fixed order, because a fault at check two makes checks three to seven irrelevant. These are the seven checks we run, in this order, before a sample goes out for signature.

1. Dimensions, measured against the drawing

Measured with a tape, not judged by eye, and measured at the same points written on the drawing. If the drawing said the size is after washing, the sample is measured after washing — see why in the canvas shrinkage note.

2. Opening and closure

The zip open and closed twenty times; the usable opening measured between the end stops; the slider run to both ends with the pouch full. If the puller catches, it will catch for the customer on day one.

3. Material against the approved swatch

In daylight, not under a lamp. This is the check where a substituted roll gets caught: same name, different lot, visibly different depth of colour. The swatch that was signed off is the reference, not the material name on the paperwork.

4. Logo, in the agreed position

Size, position, method and depth. A deboss or foil sits on a die that was made for one artwork, so the sample is also the last moment to change that file without paying for a new tool.

5. Seams, edges and stitching

Seam straightness over curves, corners turned without puckering, no skipped stitches, thread ends trimmed, and the edge finished the way the drawing says. This is the check that separates a sample from a good sample.

6. Pack-out with the real contents

Filled with what the customer will actually put in it, then closed, tilted and shaken. Contents that shift, a zip that needs two hands, or a lid that only closes when empty all appear at this step.

7. Packing and carton marks

Polybag or tissue, folding, the label position, and the marks the box will carry. It is the cheapest item on this list to check and the most expensive to discover at the port.

What happens after signature

The signed sample becomes the standard for bulk, and bulk runs about 25 days from sign-off on the sample and the artwork. Two things restart the clock rather than run alongside it:

• A structure or size change. That is a new round of sampling, about 7 working days.
• An artwork change on a foil, deboss or screen print. The tool or screen has to be remade, and the round restarts with it.

Two sampling rounds is common on a new structure, so plan about 14 working days before bulk if the design is new. Barely any of that is avoidable; the part that is avoidable is approving a sample that was never opened.

Orders start at 3,000 pcs, or 1,000 pcs per colour or size on stocked materials. Send the drawing and the contents list and we will run these seven checks on the first round.